After the War
by The-Shy-Quiet-One
Summary: A series of one shots in which different evenths after the wizarding war take place, families and friends are reunited, things like that.
1. Ron and Hermione

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling, therefore, I do not own these characters.

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><p><strong><span>After the War<span>**

_**Part One: Ron and Hermione**_

"It's finally over." Hermione sighed, closing her eyes as she leaned back in one of the cushy armchairs in front of the Gryffindor common room fireplace. Her hair was a mess, singed from the fire in the Room of Requirement, one of her eyebrows missing, and a long cut along her cheek where the rubble from the collapsing wall had hit her. The sun was setting through one of the windows, an orange glow lighting upon the entirety of the castle. The war had ended that morning, with the last great battle between Harry and Voldemort, the latter falling dead before hundreds.

"Yeah." Ron nodded in agreement, flopping down into the chair across from hers, letting his legs hook over one of its arms while he rested his head against the other. His robes were torn, scratches all over his freckled face, the dust from the debris of the castle covering both him and Hermione in a thin layer of white in places where they hadn't managed to brush it off yet. But neither of their appearances nor expressions could quite convey the turmoil going on inside.

Today, early that morning, Ron had last one of his older brothers. Fred had died when a wall had been broken down by dark magic. It had since been determined that a killing curse had hit him before he could duck it, shot through the hole by a Death Eater on a broomstick who Percy had knocked out of the sky before he could strike again.

There had been so many deaths in the past few years. First Cedric Diggory, then Sirius Black, Albus Dumbledore… countless witches, wizards, and Muggles alike… Dobby… Tonks… Lupin… Colin Creevey. It would be impossible to know how every single one of them had died, except that they had done so fighting to make the world a better place.

Hermione hugged herself, pulling her legs up into the chair and turning herself into a knotted ball of nerves. She couldn't bear thinking about it… all of that death… and then the destruction of the beloved castle that would take so long to repair that it was predicted that it would not be ready for its students until the beginning of next September. How could one single night… a battle that had lasted around eight hours… cause so much devastation? Unable to hold it in, Hermione closed her eyes tightly and let out the smallest of sobs, trying so very hard to hide it from Ron.

But the common room was empty except for the pair of them. A lot of the fighters had gone home in the early afternoon, wishing to reunite with their loved ones who had not been able to battle. Everyone else was down in the Great Hall, celebrating the end of the war with a feast the house elves had done their best to prepare on such short notice. These were the people who were staying, those who would be helping rebuild the school and sleeping in the dormitories tonight.

Harry was already out like a light, in the comfort of his old bed. He deserved a good long rest after everything that had happened. Ron and Hermione were tired themselves, but not quite ready for bed just yet. There was too much going on in their minds…. And Hermione didn't want to be alone. Ron could tell by the way she had looked at him when they'd entered the common room. She had gotten the tiniest of creases between her eyebrows as he'd turned to follow Harry up the boys' stairs… a crease that he recognized instantly as a sign of fear… panic… anxiety… and an upcoming test that he had forgotten about. So he had turned to join her in front of the fire place instead, despite his desperate desire to sleep.

As soon as that sob left Hermione, Ron sat up and raised his arms to her, offering comfort without saying a word. She shot off of the chair and into his lap, allowing him to hold her in a way he hadn't before. She curled up against him, resting her head on his shoulder and allowing the tears of pain for those lost and of relief that the war was finished to fall now, her own shoulders shaking. Ron stroked her hair, rocking her the way he used to watch his mother rock Ginny when she'd get upset.

"We'll… we'll get the school fixed up, Hermione." He stated boldly, not mentioning those who had died, knowing it would spur more tears. He would stick to the positives even though he wanted to join her tears but he willed himself to be strong… for her. He could be strong for this girl who he could sometimes still see as the insufferable little know-it-all who had come barging into his and Harry's compartment on the Hogwarts Express all those years ago, looking for a toad. If he had known back then what he knew now, he wouldn't have been so mean… or maybe he would have been meaner out of fear. "And we can track down your parents."

"My parents." Hermione sniffled slightly, lifting her head and giving Ron a pained smile. "I would like to have them back. I miss them."

"It'll be much better looking for something that you actually have a clue as to where it might be, and that you won't have to destroy."

"Yes." Hermione almost laughed then, thinking of how finding her parents was going to be so much easier than searching for the Horcruxes had been. A trip to Australia and a phone book was probably all she would need. A couple of days to a week at most and then she and her family would be back where they belonged. Safe and sound and together. "You know, we never did tell the house elves to get out of the castle so they wouldn't be harmed. I sure hope they're all alright."

"Didn't you see them fighting? They're vicious little buggers! I saw one chop a Death Eater's foot off with a cleaver! They wanted to protect the school as much as we did."

"It is their home, even if they are slaves." Hermione nodded. Her tears had stopped flowing at this point and she dried her face upon one of her dirty sleeves, getting more dirt smudged on her face, but she didn't leave Ron's lap. If anything, she curled closer to him, her head still on his shoulder, his arms still around her tightly. "With a cleaver?"

"A really big, shiny, sharp looking cleaver. The kind my mum uses when she's chopping meat with bones still in it. It sort of… spurted blood everywhere and then came off completely and the guy fell over. I don't know what happened. He disappeared under everyone's feet."

"Oh, gross, Ronald! I don't need the details!" Hermione covered her ears, her face going a bit green.

"After all we've been through, you'd think a guy's foot being chopped off would be the least of the gruesome things. If you want to see gross, you should look in a mirror… you really need a bath." Ron made a face and tried to rub at Hermione's cheek with one of his own sleeves, but it just made it worse. Apparently, he was just as dirty.

"You might want to try looking at yourself first. And you don't smell too pleasant either." Hermione wrinkled her nose up.

"Well, you're no rose… and if anyone is going to stink, it'll probably be Harry. He has died after all, what if he ends up always smelling well… dead?"

"Dead people smell bad because they're decaying, Ronald. And Harry is very much alive, thank god, so he's not decaying. Oh, he probably should have taken a Sleeping Draught before he went to bed… to keep away nightmares… he's bound to have them after all of this…"

"Yeah, I think we're all going to be bound to have them." Ron nodded in agreement. The sky outside had gotten dark, but the common room was as pleasantly welcoming as it always was. It was untouched by the battle, safe due to its height and portrait entrance.

"I kind of don't want to go to sleep." Hermione admitted, burying her face against Ron's neck and breathing him in. He didn't smell lovely, but there was still that underlying scent that was purely Ron. That one that she was so accustomed to it was associated with a feeling of being home, being safe.

"Me neither. But you and I both know that's not going to happen. I'm beat and there're huge bags under your eyes."

"There are huge bags under yours as well." Hermione pointed out a bit defensively.

"I vote we just pass out right here."

"In the chair?"

"Yeah. Then neither of us had to be alone if we have nightmares." Ron stated as though it were the most obvious plan on the planet. "Or I can sleep in the chair and you can sleep on the couch if you want something a bit more comfortable."

"The chair is comfortable enough." Hermione said simpley, closing her eyes and allowing herself to relax more fully than she had yet, her legs dangling sideways over Ron's. Ron yawned, stretching his arms up before replacing them around Hermione. He rather liked holding her like this…

"Hey, Hermione?"

"Mhm?" Hermione yawned, her eyes droopy as she opened to them acknowledge she was listening.

"Remember in the Room of Requirement, back when it was still a hide out for the DA and Harry told us where the lost diadem was?" Ron asked hesitantly, not quite wanting to have this conversation when they were both so tired, but feeling he needed to get it off his chest… had to know…

"Yes, I remember." Hermione nodded, figuring that she knew where he was going with this, but then again, one could never be completely certain with Ron. He could be a bit thick at times.

"And then I said that we should tell the house elves to get out?"

"Yes."

"And then you sort of... you sort of…" Ron stammered, unable to get the words out now that he was actually making an attempt at saying them.

"You mean the part where we kissed and Harry had to yell at us?" Hermione inquired, a look of amusement on her tired and dirty face, though her cheeks were beginning to heat up quite a bit.

"Y-yeah." Ron nodded, his ears turning bright red at the very mention of it. "I was just… I mean… I was wondering if you remembered, that's all."

"Of course I remember, Ronald." Hermione nodded and then frowned, her smile fading. "Was it ok then? That I kissed you?"

"Was it… of course it was ok! It was more than bloody ok, Hermione! Merlin…" Ron stared at her in disbelief. And she was supposed to be the smart one! "I…" He felt the color rising and heating up even more so in his face… he assumed it was covering him from neck to hairline by now. "I… I reckon... I might… you know… want to try it… again… When things aren't so rushed."

"Things were rushed, weren't they? What with the war going on and you being so brilliant. First you thought of the basilisk fangs in the Chamber of Secrets and then you remembered the house elves even when I didn't. I thought maybe… what if something happened to one of us and I never… never..." Hermione paused, her face quite red now, nearly as red as Ron's and the chair they were sitting on.

"Never what?" Ron asked, desperate for the answer… wanting it to be the one he was looking for and yet dreading the one he hoped it wasn't.

"That I'd never had the chance to… to tell you have much I love you." Hermione's face exploded with color now, a true Gryffindor scarlet. Ron's did the same and he laughed, his heart soaring. "Well, I'm sorry if they seems so funny to you, Ronald, but I…"

"Hermione…" Ron shook his head and hugged her closer, placing two long fingers under her chin and tilting her head up so that he could see her face. He dropped his fingers from her chin and placed his hand against her cheek, brushing the snarled, singed hair out of her eyes. Those brown eyes that shone up at him in near confusion before they dawned with comprehension the split second before his lips found her's.

It was like the first kiss, only better. There was no pressure in trying to get in the words left unsaid, to desperately convey to the other exactly how they felt. There was just the two of them, and nothing but time to be here. Explosions rocketed through both of their brains, an electrified magic that was greater than the power of even the Elder wand. The purest, most unconditional of loves.

When they finally broke apart, it was to footsteps on the boys' stairs. Both reached for their wands, expecting maybe a stray Death Eater that had been over looked, but it was only a weary looking Harry, his hair a mess as always. He stared at them, and they stared back, watching as a tired grin spread across his face. "Now is the moment…" He started, causing them both to laugh. But then he pointed towards the boys' stairs. "For you both to get your arses in bed."

"Nightmares, mate?" Ron asked simply, moving to rise from the chair, Hermione having to get up to allow him to do so.

"Either that or we've spent so many nights in the same tent that sleeping alone again is going to be a bit difficult." Hermione suggested.

"That too." Harry nodded, smiling. "Hermione, I'm sure Dean wouldn't mind you taking his bed since he's gone home to see his family. Or you can just share with Ron. Judging by the way you two were snogging, he wouldn't mind." Both of them blushed and Harry yawned, stretching and turning to start up the stairs. He got to the third one before he looked back at them. Ron and Hermione followed after him, clasping one another's hands. None of them would have to be alone tonight. Except for Dean's bed.

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><p>Heh. I hope you enjoyed it! Lemme know what you thought, I'd love to hear from you!<p>

Love always,

S.Q.O.


	2. Father's Love

Disclaimer: I get sick of writing these things, but you know the deal. JKR's stuff because she is awesome!

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><p><strong>After the War<strong>

**_Part Two: A Father's Love_**

Xenophilius Lovegood heaved a great sigh as he appeared in the center of Hogsmeade. His white candy floss hair was grungy and limp around his head, his usual colorful clothes replaced with those of Azkaban. The industrial grey, ripped and torn, made him look ever more miserable than he had been feeling in the past couple of months. He was frowning, his brow knitted in worry as he began to walk, his shoes a bit too large, having belonged to another prisoner before him.

All around him, people were celebrating. Banners had been hung across buildings and in windows, bright colors and happy songs of victory. The Dark Lord was finished at last, thanks to the brave Harry Potter. But Xeno would not, could not join them. His heart was empty, his fear great that surely he had lost everything at last. That there would no longer be anything at all for him to live for. Sure, his home had been destroyed, but that was easily mended. Inanimate objects meant nothing to him, nothing at all… if he had lost her as well. His most precious possession could not be bought or repaired.

It had been eight months since Xeno had seen his beloved daughter. He had put her on the train to school… had been required to against his better judgment… hoping that the pureness of their blood would keep her safe. But they had stolen her away, just before Christmas, because he had been printing issues of his magazine, the Quibbler, with words of favor for the Boy-Who-Lived. They had taken his entire world away from him…

They had tried for so long to have a baby. It had taken years until finally, the good news… Tricia had come home from work early and hugged him so tightly that he could almost still feel her arms around him. Her voice still echoed in his ears… 'I'm pregnant… I'm pregnant… I'm pregnant…' He had nearly fainted in shock. And then when Luna had been born…. The Healers had told them it was a boy… he had been plenty prepared for a son… and a bit disappointed when it was announced that the child was actually a girl.

But he had loved her so, from the moment he had laid eyes on her. But he had also been worried. How could he, as a man, raise a little girl? But he had Tricia's help… and it ended up being much easier than expected. Luna was everything Xeno could have ever wanted in a child of his own. She was perceptive, and incredibly smart while keeping an open mind about everything. She wasn't afraid to get covered in mud, in fact, she preferred it, only second to getting covered in paint. To Xeno, she was the most perfect of little girls.

After his wife had been killed during one of her experiments seven years ago, Xeno had been quite distraught. But it had been Luna who had taken care of him. Luna who had made him eat… had made him keep going. Until one day he had woken up and realized that all was not lost. He still had plenty to live for… a daughter, barely nine years old, to take care of. And his wife would never be completely gone. He could see her in the way his Luna laughed, the way she smiled, her eyes sparkling, and the way she accepted what most wizards would consider the craziest of ideas. His wife lived on in their daughter and he had made it his mission in life to protect her even more ever since.

But he had failed.

The Death Eaters had taken his Luna, and for all he knew, she was most likely as dead as her mother now, her body rotting beneath the earth. Never again would he see those silver-blue eyes so full of life and wonder. Never again would he hold her in his arms or make her tea when she was ill. Never again would they discuss the greatness of Crumpleheaded Snorkacks nor eat chocolate cake at three in the morning because she'd woken up with a craving for it.

But he knew, if he had one very last chance… if there was even the remotest of possibilities that she was still alive. That she had managed to somehow escape from where-ever they had imprisoned her… that she would be at Hogwarts. She would have found out about the battle and gotten there as soon as she could… because that was the Luna he knew. The one willing to die to protect those she loved… because she was her mother's daughter.

The trek up to the castle seemed to take forever, but soon, he had reached the gate. It was wide open, welcoming those wishing to come celebrate and allowing others to leave if they wanted to. There was a steady flow of traffic coming and going from the castle… families trying to reunite with their children… others trying to spread word of those who had been killed or those who had made it through.

"Xeno! Brilliant day, isn't it?' Someone called, but he ignored them. For him, it was not a brilliant day. He needed to find out if his daughter was dead… and there was absolutely nothing brilliant about that. The person who had called probably still had all of his family members.

The giant oak doors to the castle stood open wide in welcome. Shouts of joy and cries of pain echoed together in the celebrations going on here. Most people seemed to be going in and out of the Great Hall, or up the stairs to help with the reconstruction of the school. Xeno took a moment and then turned toward the Great Hall. He would start there… ask around if anyone had maybe seen her…

And then it happened. Five words sounded from the far side of the hall and sent Xeno's head spinning. "Oooh! Look! A blibbering humdinger!" Surely… surely that could not be…. But who else could it be? Who else knew or understood about blibbering humdingers except for…

"Luna…" Xeno whispered, pushing his way through those who were standing and had not yet taken a seat. And there was was… her dirty blonde hair messier than he'd ever seen it… covered in dirt and a great bruise on her cheek… "LUNA!" He broke into a run and those around him parted quickly to let him through.

Her head spun around and Luna was suddenly rising from her seat, eyes wide and bright with absolute delight. She stepped over the bench and her arms stretched out to him before he was even within her grasp… "Daddy!"

And then… she was there. She was whole and alive and warm in his arms. He gripped her tightly, lifting her up from the floor and she wrapped her legs around his middle as she had done when she was small. And though he was weak from Azkaban, he was strong enough to hold her… to spin her around in his joy that she was here. That she was not lost to him forever. His most precious thing in the entire world… his Luna.

Even after he set her back down, Xeno kept one arm around his daughter at all times. He could smile now, and enjoy the celebration. He could eat and laugh and listen to stories of what had happened in the battle and how Voldemort had finally met his end. And he could breathe. Because the one thing that mattered most to him in the entire world, was safely tucked up under his arm and he was never, ever, going to allow anyone to take her away from him again.

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><p>I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I've never done a POV from Xeno before, so I figured it'd be interesting. Anyways, lemme know what you thought, I'd love to hear from you and yes, I promise to update my other stories soon for those of you who have just been waiting and waiting and begging me for more.<p>

Love always,

S.Q.O.


	3. Parentals

**After the War**

**_Chapter Three: Parentals_**

Hermione gripped Ron's hand tightly as the airplane's wheels hit the asphalt, her eyes trained on the world outside of the window. They had been traveling since yesterday morning, the entire time spent on airplanes totaling nearly twenty-four hours. They'd spent the night in an airport in Singapore, sleeping on benches, and now, as they landed in Sydney, neither was very happy. But this trip was important… so very important.

It had been two weeks since the end of the war and already the world was looking brighter and safer. With Hogwarts and the rest of the wizarding world well on their way to repair, Hermione had told Harry, Ron, and the rest of the Weasleys that she needed to go locate her parents in Australia. Despite her efforts to persuade him that she was perfectly capable of doing this on her own, Ron had insisted on coming to the point where it was useless to tell him no. Percy managed to get him a passport at the ministry while Hermione's was still good to go. She booked two tickets for the closest flight to Australia and here they were.

"Do you think Harry will be alright without us?" Hermione asked for about the dozenth time since they had left.

"Hermione, he's fine. He's got Ginny and everyone else. We're not going to be gone for too long anyway, you said they'd be easy to find."

"I suppose." Hermione sighed and unbuckled her seatbelt as the lights went off overhead.

"Welcome to Sydney and thank you for flying British Airlines. Please keep a courteous manner while deboarding and enjoy your time in Austrailia."

"Finally. I must admit that it's a bit more comfortable than a broom, but still… flying through the air in a metal tube… " Ron groaned and stood up, stretching his legs before reaching up to grab their rucksacks from the overhead compartment. It would have looked suspicious if they hadn't any luggage, so Hermione had suggested they pack a couple of bags with clothes and toiletries. Anything else they might need was in the small beaded bag tied to the front belt loop of her jeans. Grabbing her bag from Ron and putting it on her back, Hermione joined him in the aisle where they worked their way to the front of the airplane with the rest of the crowd.

"So, now that we're here…" Ron started as they made their way down the boarding tunnel and into the terminal. "I vote we get something to eat."

"We will, but first I want to find a phone book. There should be pay phones around here somewhere…" Hermione gazed around, her eyes searching as she dragged Ron past a cue for fast food that he stared back at rather longingly, his stomach growling. "Over there, by the bathroom."

Sure enough, there was a small section off to the side of the bathrooms that contained about fifteen pay phones, all with phone books dangling from them. They made their way to one at the far end that wasn't currently occupied and Hermione grabbed up the book, flipping through it. "Wilkins…Wilkins… Here! Wilkins, Wendell and Monica. 412 Ashburrun Street. Here.." Hermione lifted a pen dangling from a chain and then glanced around for some paper. She dug into her pocket to extract her plane ticket and scribbled the address on the back. After making sure there weren't any other Wendell and Monica Wilkins in the book, she pocketed the ticket.

"Got it?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now let's get something to eat and find that hotel you reserved a room in last night." Ron yawned and, seeing that Hermione looked a bit flustered, he reached down and took her hand. "C'mon 'mione. It's nearly eleven at night here. We can't search for them until the morning anyway, we might as well get some sleep."

"I know, I just… it's been about ten months since I've seen them."

"It'll be fine. Besides, you'll want to be well rested when you reverse the spell anyway." Hermione nodded and they left the phone area.

After grabbing something quick to eat from one of the many food places the airport had to offer, they made their way out of the airport and onto the street. Thankfully, Hermione had been able to call the airport for a suggestion of a hotel that wasn't too far away and they only had to walk a couple of blocks before it came into sight. Hermione checked them in using the single credit card she had taken from her mother's purse strictly for this purpose. She'd canceled all of their other ones after she'd placed the spell on them and taking a few new ones out in their new names. Before the spell, she'd spent time removing all traces of their real names from the house by transfiguring the things they needed to have in Australia (diplomas and proof of being dentists) and taking the ones they didn't with her and keeping them in a box in Ginny's closet at the Burrow.

"Ugh." Ron flopped down on the double bed and was out like a light within a few minutes. Hermione changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed as well, but just laid there. Her mind was teeming with problems that could arise when she finally found her parents. What if she wasn't able to reverse her own spell? Or what if she didn't get close enough to do so? Sure, she'd left them with their own personalities and tributes. There were only slight differences. Names. Their ambition to live in Australia. And of course, they had no memory of her, their only daughter, and by losing such, also no memory of the wizarding world. Surely they would have found a place to practice dental right? And maybe they'd still take their Sunday afternoon stroll through the nearest park. It was this last bit that she was counting on the most. If she couldn't get them at their home, then she and Ron would find the closest park and wait.

Finally, after two hours of worry, Hermione rolled over and buried her face against Ron's chest. It was warm and smelled of home. Even with all of the moving around they had done in the past ten months, this had been a constant. Well, aside from when Ron had been gone. But he'd come back. So whether they were at the Burrow, in a tent, at Hogwarts, or in an Australian hotel room, Ron smelt like Ron. It was him that was home, not any of those places. Ron and Harry both made anyplace what home was for her. It had taken her years to determine it, but she'd finally figured out that Ron smelt of chocolate, cinnamon, and fresh turned earth while Harry was wind, grass, and rain. That was home, where her best friends were. Her boyfriend and brother.

With her nose filled with familiarity and Ron's hand in her's, Hermione relaxed and let the world drift away for dreamland.

"Hermione. Hey, Hermione." Ron's voice woke her and Hermione sat up, her hair a mess, legs tangled up in the bed sheets. The ringing of the hotel room phone hadn't woken her. "I'd answer it, but I'm not so good with fellytones."

"It's just the wake up call." Hermione reached over and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Good morning Miss Granger. You requested a wake up call at nine thirty sharp."

"That is correct, thank you."

"Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No I think… no wait! We'll be needing a taxi?"

"Alright, I can call one for you. What time would you prefer for it to be here?"

"Um… ten thirtyish would be good."

"Very well, Miss Granger. Have a pleasant day."

"Thank you, you as well." Hermione hung up the phone. "Ok, so we have an hour to shower and eat breakfast before we have to check out and get to the taxi."

"Only an hour?" Ron stared at her and she laughed.

"There's free breakfast downstairs. You can go get us something while I shower?" Hermione asked, digging into her backpack to find clothes for the day.

"Sure." Ron nodded and Hermione handed him a room key. After showing him how it worked, she headed into the bathroom to get cleaned up. She spent a while brushing out her hair and pulling it back in a long plait before pulling on the lilac dress she'd worn to Bill and Fleur's wedding. It was floaty and pretty enough for a wedding, but casual enough to wear today. Besides, she wanted to look nice for her parents. She pulled on a pair of black flats and left the bathroom.

"Woah." Ron looked up from where he'd spread the desk with food. He'd managed to get two plates with eggs, bacon, and toast and a several cups. "You look great."

"Thanks." Hermione smiled and sat down on the edge of the bed closest the desk. "Why so many cups?"

"I wasn't sure if you wanted juice, coffee, or tea." Ron admitted, pushing three of the four cups towards her. "You used to like juice, but then you switched to coffee for a while, but lately you've been picking tea, but sometimes you still want one of the others." Hermione stared at him, surprised he'd paid attention to little things like that. Then she looked down at her plate and blinked again, raising her head to stare at him again. "What?"

"And you remembered exactly how I like my toast."

"Butter and blackberry jam." Ron said as he sat down in the desk chair. "Why always with the tone of surprise?"

"I just… It's not something most people expect to be remembered, that's all."

"Hermione, we've eaten together for seven years. I could tell you that right now Harry probably is finishing his bacon and breaking his yolks to dip his toast."

Hermione blinked again and then burst out laughing at the familiar image that filled her mind. "You're right, he does do that. Or Ginny's feeding it to him."

"An image I do not need." Ron groaned and finished his breakfast before heading into the bathroom for a shower. Hermione smiled and drank her tea.

At ten thirty, with their bags on their backs and checked out of the hotel, Hermione and Ron met the taxi out in front of the hotel. Hermione told the driver the address and off they went, anxiously holding onto one another's hands.

412 Ashburrun Street was in a small residential area just out of the main part of the city. A little blue house with a lot of greenery around it, Hermione smiled. A stone walkway and flowerbeds bursting with yellow daisies. This was definitely her parents' home. It looked like them.

Hermione and Ron got out of the taxi and Hermione paid the driver. "Well… here we are."

"Are you ready?" Ron asked, reaching down to take her hand. Hermione nodded and drew her wand from the pouch hanging on the sash of her dress, perfectly blended in. They pushed through the small wooden fence gate and made their way up the flower lined walkway to the front steps. Hermione gulped down her fear and rang the bell.

The door opened and a man with graying brown hair answered, his chocolate eyes the exact same size, shape, and color as his daughter's except he wore a pair of spectacles. "Ah, young people! Good morning, and what can I do for you?"

"Hi D-sir." Hermione smiled. "I'm looking for Monica?"

"Ah, yes. You'd be here for book club wouldn't you? I haven't seen many young people join, but then you can love knowledge at any age! Come in, come in. Monica's just watering out back. Should be in in a moment." Mr. Granger smiled and led them inside. Hermione sighed, looking around. Here were pieces of her childhood. Her parents' wedding photo. A bookcase stretching from floor to ceiling with a scratch in the side from the time she'd pushed a chair up against it too hard in her search for a book on the top shelf. Her father's old easy chair. And of course, her dad.

"Monica! Company for you!" Mr. Granger called out the back door after he had led them into the kitchen. "Can I get you some tea? Water?"

"Oh, no thank you." Hermione smiled, digging her fingernails into her palms to keep herself from rushing forward and hugging her father around the neck as she had always done.

"What did you say your names were?"

"This is Ron Weasley. And I'm Hermione Granger."

"Ah! Hermione! Hermione Hermione Hermione, fantastic name! One of my absolute favorites. It's probably one of the most unique names I've ever come across."

"If we had a daughter that'd probably be her name. Me, I would probably pick something more common. You know, less likely to cause spelling errors when learning to write and to lessen bullying. Were you ever picked on as a child?" Mr. Granger asked as she came into the house, a smudge of dirt on her cheek. Her hair was dirty blond, eyes of hazel, but Hermione had gotten her lips, nose, figure, and the curls and waves of her hair.

"A bit." Hermione smiled, biting her lip. "Actually, maybe I will have some tea, if you don't mind?"

"Of course!" Mr. Granger beamed and spun to get the pot.

"I'll get it." Mrs. Granger spun around as well, reaching for a cup. While their backs were turned, Hermione raised her wand and gripping Ron's hand very tightly, whispered.

"."

Two jets of purple light shot out of her wand tip. One went into each of Hermione's parents and they froze, glowing silvery for a moment before returning to normal non-glowyness.

They paused a moment, as though having forgotten what they were about to do. And then the metal tea kettle hit the floor.

"Hermione." Mr. Granger spun around, his eyes wide and filling with tears. "My Hermione. Oh my precious, brilliant girl."

Hermione's whole body relaxed and she dropped her wand, bursting into tears as she shot forward into her father's outstretched arms.

"Hermione, oh how could I have forgotten my baby?" Mrs. Granger gasped, a hand to her mouth as she, too, started to cry. She rushed forward to embrace her daughter from the other side, stroking her hair. Hermione's arms found both of them, clinging to them tightly, her heart so happy to have them back that it ached.

"I modified your memories. I h-h-had to, to keep you safe from Voldemort." Hermione explained as they all began to calm down and moved to sit at the table. "I made you want to move here."

"How long has it been? We moved here last July, so… it's been…"

"Ten months." Hermione nodded.

"And you named me Wendell. After that silly old book we read no doubt. What was it called?"

"Wendell and the Willywhooppers." Hermione sniffled with a laugh. "And I named you Monica after your favorite author. And Wilkins was just a common old name."

"You… where have you been? Why didn't you come with us? Why didn't you just tell us?" Mrs. Granger asked, gripping her daughter's hand tightly.

"It's a long story." Ron spoke up, stepping forward and sitting down at the table. "Let's see… Harry needed help destroying Voldemort's horcruxes, which are basically objects with little bits of a person's soul in them. So we did a lot of camping and searching because unless all we got rid of all of the horcruxes, Voldemort wouldn't be able to die."

"But we did, and Harry killed Voldemort, so the war is over now."

"What? Horcruxes, souls? Harry, that buddy of yours, killed someone?"

"Well technically Harry just disarmed him and Voldemort's spell backfired on him, so he really just killed himself."

"I'm so confused."

"That's ok, Mum. We've got time." Hermione smiled and Ron grinned.

"So, this one is Ronald right?" Mrs. Granger smiled, changing the subject and looking from her daughter to the red headed boy she'd only met briefly at Diagon Alley nearly six years previously. She looked over her shoulder as though expecting someone else to appear. "Harry's not with you two? After all you've told us I would have assumed he'd come along as well."

"No. He's spending some well deserved time with Ginny." Hermione laughed reaching out to take Ron's hand without really thinking about it. It was becoming more and more natural to do in everyday life and not just when they were running from Death Eaters.

"Oh I see." Mrs. Granger's smile grew even wider and Mr. Granger looked from her to his daughter.

"What do you see?"

"I'll explain it to you later dear."

"Wait wait wait, you mean to tell me you've been camping, alone, with a pair of boys for ten months?" Mr. Granger asked as this conclusion seemed to suddenly occur to him.

"Er…yes. That's right." Hermione nodded, wincing. It wasn't as though they'd done anything along the lines of which her father was thinking.

"Well, did you at least remember your toothbrush?" Or maybe his mind was somewhere else completely. Hermione laughed, glad of the trust her parents put in her. They knew she was a good girl and that Harry and Ron were decent boys.

"Of course I did. And my floss and rinse. I'm overdue for a cleaning, but that was the least of our worries."

"Well then, we're wasting decay fighting time!" Mr. Granger shot out of his chair and dragged Hermione out of the room. "I've had my study equipped here, just like I did back home. S'better for business…"

"He's a bit of a dental extremist." Mrs. Granger laughed at the shocked look on Ron's face. "He'll probably do you next if he gets his way." She laughed even harder as Ron covered his mouth with both hands. Mrs. Granger rose from her chair and hugged him from behind, kissing his temple. "You'll just have to get used to it. More tea?"

"Dad, I swear if you check me one more time for cavities there you're going to start seeing things!"

"Hermione, I have not spent years, since your first tooth erupted, making sure this is the best set of teeth the world has ever seen."

"Daaaad!"

Ron turned to look up at Mrs. Granger, eyes still wide. She laughed again and set his tea down in front of him. "I added some scotch to it for you. It'll help when he goes for your teeth. Welcome to the family."

* * *

><p>Bahaha! I particularly loved writing Mr. Granger and giving both parents personality. I think this is probably my favorite chapter out of this story. Please let me know what you thought of it, I love hearing from you, the good or bad.<p>

Love always,

S.Q.O.


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